Display carton



G. L. MEYERS DISPLAY CARTON June 26, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 INVENTOR.

Y W E T MUT w w E 6 G. L. MEYERS DISPLAY CARTON June 26, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 23, 1961 INVENTOR.

GEORGE L WW [I Y ATTORNEYS.

MEYERS United States Patent Ofilice 3,040,961 Patented June 26, 1362 Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,372 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-33) This invention relates to a readily assembled display carton which may be made from a single blank. More specifically, the invention may with particular advantage be used for the display packaging of food products which must be displayed to enhance their salability.

In the production of cartons for display purposes the appearance of the completed carton as well as the price are of paramount importance. Recently, due to the saving of board involved, cartons have been made in which the bottom is formed by dropping down a portion of what would normally be the top panel. This gives a carton in which the window opening conforms to the shape of the panel that has been dropped down to form the bottom. This type of construction as exemplified in U.S. Patent No. 2,858,013 has several drawbacks. The transparent portion which forms the window is attached on the outside of the carton and this construction does not lend itself readily to machine gluing of the sides of the carton when setting up the carton blank.

According to the present invention a carton utilizing the drop down of a portion of what would normally be the top panel to form the bottom leaving a window opening can be constructed so that the window is attached on the inside of the completed carton. Further, by following the method as outlined below a carton blank can be partially glued, the window attached on the inside of the carton blank and then the gluing completed easily by straight line gluing machines to give a carton shell that can be shipped flat and set up readily by the user.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a single blank suitably cut and scored to form a windowed display carton and having adhesive applied to one portion,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blank of FIGURE 1 following partial gluing and with the window inserted,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the blank of FIGURE 1 after a second gluing step and prior to the setting up showing the carton as it is ordinarily shipped to the user.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the blank of FIGURE 1 glued and partially set up to form the carton shell,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the closed carton,

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a modified carton blank of the present invention, and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the closed carton made of the blank of FIGURE 6.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the carton is made of a single foldable blank A of flexible material such as paperboard. The blank A is divided by score lines 10, Ila-11b, 12, 13a-13b, and 14 and cut lines 1548 into hingedly connected panels and flaps, including a bottom panel 3%, top panels 31, opposed inner side panels 32 and 33, end panels 34, closure flaps 35, dust flaps 36, and opposed outer side panels 38 and 39. Panels 30 and 31 together form a central panel bounded by score lines 11a, 13a and 13b.

Locking tabs 2% project from closure flaps 35 and are hinged to the lateral edges of flaps 35 along score lines 14. When the carton is set up and closed, the locking tabs are en aged in locked relationship with the bottom edges of dust flaps 36 as described more fully hereinafter.

The corners outermost from the center of the carton blank of both closure flaps 35 and locking tabs 20 are tapered to facilitate closing.

After the blank has been formed, inner side panel 32 hinged along score line 12 to outer side panel 39 is then coated with an adhesive. The entire panel may be coated as shown in FIGURE 1 or else only a strip along the edge adjacent to score line 13a may be coated. The cut away portion of hte blank of FIGURE 2 which includes inner side panels 32, 33 and bottom panel 30 and is defined by cut lines 15, 16 and 17 and score line :12 is folded outward about score line 12 to lie fiat. Pressure is applied to inner side panel 32 lying adjacent score line 12 and superposed on outer side panel 39 adhering the inner side panel surface bearing the adhesive to the adjacent surface of the outer side panel 39.

An alternative method would be to lift the cut away portion, moving it toward and into superposed relation with outer side panel 38. This motion causes outer side panel 39 to infold along score line 13b to lie flat in superposed relationship on the adhesive bearing inner side panel 32. Pressure is applied so as to secure adhesion between panels 32 and 39. In order to prepare the blank for application of the window sheet material, the cut away portion would have to be folded outwardly along score line 12 to lie in the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Adhesive for adhering the window sheet material is then applied around the edges of the opening defined in FIGURE 1 by 12, 15, 16 and 17. A sheet of transparent material, for instance cellophane, is then positioned on the blank as shown by numeral 40 in FIGURE 2. Pressure is applied to secure a firm adhesion of the trans parent sheet to the carton blank. The carton blank is actually folded around the window sheet so that the window sheet is attached on the inside of the set up, closed carton. Adhesive is applied to the lower side of inner side panel 33 lying outermost from the blank. Bottom panel 30 along with attached outermost panel 33 is then folded at score line 13a adjacent said inner side panel 32 to lie in superposed position on adhered inner side panel 32. Outer side panel 38 is then folded inwardly on score lines 13b to lie in superposed relationship with respect to the adhesive carrying side of inner side panel 33. Pressure is applied to secure a firm adhesion between the two panels. This stage of construction is shown in FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, partially cut away, showing the squared glued carton shell prior to the folding in of the end panels 34, closure flaps 35 and dust flaps 36. This view shows a portion of the top and side panels dropped or folded down to form the bottom and inner side panels 30, 32, and '33 respectively. Dust flaps 36 are then infolded to lie in a common plane. Locking tabs 21) are folded inwardly toward each other to lie in a common plane on closure flaps 35. End panels 34 are folded inwardly toward dust flaps 36 while at the same time closure flaps 35 are folded inwardly to form an angle with end panels 34 of less than This enables closure flaps 35 to clear and engage the upper edge of bottom panel 30. The resiliency of the paperboard causes locking tabs 2i) to spring outward against the side panels and end panels of the carton in locked relationship as shown in FIGURE 5. Closure flaps 35 form part of the bottom in the completed canton. Gluing of the inner side panels to the outer side panels gives a stronger more stable carton than when the inner and outer side panels are merely in overlying relationship without being secured together.

In the modification depicted in FIGURES 6 and 7 the window portion is shown extending into the end panels. Also a different locking arrangement from that previously illustrated is employed to secure the end closure. Referring first to FIGURE 6, the modified carton is made of a single foldable blank 13. The blank B is divided by score lines 110, 111a 111c, 112, 113a-113b and cut lines 116, 117, 121, 122, and 126, into hingedly connected panels and flaps, including a bottom panel 131%, top panels 131, opposed inner side panels 132, 133, outer end panels 134, closure flaps 135, dust flaps 136, inner end panels 137 and opposed outer side panels 138 and 13d. Panels 131) and 131 together form a central panel bounded by score lines 111a, 1110, 113a and i'ifab.

Male locking tabs 124 are hingedly connected to flaps 135 by score lines 123. Female locking slits 125 are cut in bottom panel 131?. When the carton is set up and closed, the male locking tabs are engaged in locked relationship in the female locldng slits as shown in FIG- URE 7.

With the cut lines 116, 117, 121,122 and 126, defining the window opening, extended beyond the edge of panel 130 into panels 134, as well as panels 132 and 133, a portion 137 of the end panel 134 is removed when the bottom panel 130 is dropped down to form the bottom of the carton essentially as previously described.

After the carton shell formed from the blank of FIG- URE 6 is squared, inner end panels 137 which are hingedly connected to bottom panel 130 by score lines 1110 are folded inwardly to stand in a vertical position. Then dust flaps 136 are folded inwardly to lie parallel to and in abutting relationship with inner end panels 137. End panels 134 are then folded down about score lines 11 1a to abut dust flaps 136 in superposed position. Closure flaps 135 are folded upwardly about score lines 110 to abut bottom panel 130 in subposed relationship. At this point male locking tabs 124 are directly underneath female locking slits 12.5, and may be pressed upwardly into engagement with female locking slits 125. In the closed carton the window opening is defined by score line 112 and cut lines 116, 1 17, 121, 122 and 126.

The present invention provides a display carton construction which requires a minimum of paperboard stock. The carton can be glued with the window inserted and shipped fiat, as shown in FIGURE 3, to the users plant. It can then be readily set up, filled with the commodity to be packaged and locked either by hand or by automatic machinery. The appearance of the carton is considerably enhanced because the transparent window is adhered on the inside of the carton. The configuration of the original blank readily lends itself for adaption to conventional gluing apparatus, thereby allowing large scale production without the necessity of new equipment. Although exemplified with locking tabs 2%, in FIGURES l-5 and male locking tabs 124 in FIGURES 6 and 7, it is understood that other conventional locking means, such as male locking tabs seating in female locking slits located in the outer side panels could be employed. As an alternative, the end closure could be provided by means of gluing or stapling rather than locking action. It is apparent that the size and shape of the carton may be varied according to the desires of the customer to accommodate different commodities.

I claim:

1. A display carton formed of a single blank suitably cut and scored comprising a pair of opposed outer side panels being cut away at their upper central portions; polygonal top panels hingedly connected to the lateral portions of the upper edges of the outer side panels and being located at the ends of the canton and of size to close only a portion of the top of the canton; a pair of opposed similarly shaped inner side panels adhered to said outer side panels in abutting relationship, one of said inner side panels being hingedly connected to one of said outer side panels at a hinge line which forms the upper edge of said inner side panel and is intermediate the top and bottom edges of said one of said outer side panels and the other of said inner side panels having its corresponding edge free of the adjacent abutting outer side panel; a bottom panel hingedly connected along the side edges to the lower edges of said inner side panels and closure means hingedly connected to the end edges of said carton for maintaining the carton in permanent set up form; said carton having therein a continuous window opening comprising the cut away portions in said outer side panels and the unclosed portion of the top of the carton, said opening being covered by a transparent sheet material adhered adjacent the periphery of the opening on the interior surface .of the carton.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein said means comprisesdust flaps hingedly connected to the lateral edges of said outer side panels and folded inwardly, end panels overlying said dust flaps hingedly attached at their upper edge to said top panels and at the bottom edge to closure flaps havin locking tabs at the lateral edges of said closure flaps which engage said bottom when said locking tabs are vertical and said closure flaps are lying horizontally adjacent said bottom.

3. The canton of claim 1 wherein said means includes dust flaps hingedly connected to the lateral edges of said outer side panels and folded inwardly, end panels overlying said dust flaps and hingedly connected at their upper edge to said top panels and at the bottom edge to closure flaps.

4. A method of making a display carton which comprises suitably cutting and scoring a single blank to form a central panel defined by a pair of longitudinal parallel spaced score lines and a pair of transverse parallel spaced score lines, side panels hingedly attached to said central panel at said longitudinal score lines, end panels hingedly attached to said central panel by said transverse score lines and having end closure means hingedly attached thereto, said central panel being divided by angular cut lines near the corners thereof into a bottom panel and top panels located at the corners of said central panel, one of said side panels bearing an internal out line and the other side panel an internal score line, the ends of said internal cut and score lines being connected by cut lines with the adjacent ends of said angular cut lines whereby the side panels are divided into a pair of inner side panels lying adjacent the longitudinal edges of said bottom panel and outer side panels lying outside said connecting cut lines and the line joining them in the side panel; applying adhesive to the said inner side panel adjacent said longitudinal score line; folding the cut away portion of the bottom and inner side panels back on said longitudinal score line so that said adhesive bearing inner side panel is adhered to the adjacent outer side panel in superposed relationship; applying adhesive to the edge of the opening formed by folding back said cut away portion and then adhering a sheet of transparent material at its periphery to the adhesive bearing opening edge; applying adhesive to the under surface of the other inner side panel lying outermost from said blank; folding said bottom inwardly along one of said pair of longitudinal score lines lying adjacent said adhered inner side panel so that the adhesive carrying surface of the other inner side panel is upward when the cut away portion lies fiat; folding inwardly the unadhered outer side panel to lie in superposed relationship on top of the adhesive bearing inner side panel and adhering thereto; partially setting up the carton by pressing into rectangular shape and securing said closru'e means so as to maintain the carton in permanent set up form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

